An unknown sensation

Author's note: Italics mean that those words are spoken by Glimmer.

"Horseapples!" Twilight could do nothing but shout out in frustration. Waking up next to and spending the morning with the pony she loved had been wonderful, but when Midnight needed to go to work, everything begun to get worse.

She had insisted on accompanying her to the clinic. After grabbing her coinpurse from her bedroom, Twilight had lost balance on top of the stairs, thanks to a remainder of the disease that she was finally recovering from.

As if falling from such a height wouldn't have been enough, there was a book lying on the bottom of the stairs, practically waiting to crack her hoof. She had been so used to Spike or Midnight cleaning up her books that she didn't bother putting it back.

"Hold still, or I'll mess it up." Midnight was magically examining the foreleg. "It's nothing serious... but you need it bandaged anyway."

Due to Twilight's dislike of Earth Pony methods, there was not near the medical supplies needed.

"Fine then, I'll bandage it at the clinic. Good thing I chose to do this, right?"

"Just get me there!" Twilight snapped. She did not want to be rude, but her hoof made her only desire to get help as soon as possible.

"I know how you're feeling. Alright, hang on tight!" Midnight chose a teleportation spell for speed.

After a flash of light, they were back at the clinic were they had met just the day before.

Midnight galloped inside, practically carrying the other unicorn. She dropped her at the examination table, past the surprised nurse mare. After Twilight was seated, she turned to the Nurse.

"Morning. Don't mind her, she just needs a small bandage. Fell down onto a book. Cracked up her hoof."

Any other pony would continue staring in surprise. The Nurse, knowing her assistant, just nodded and brought in the materials needed.

"There. Now, don't stand on it for three days and come back daily. Actually... I'd like for somepony to watch over you. But who?"

"Applejack's on honeymoon, so is Rainbow Dash, Rarity's busy working on a special order from Canterlot."

"What about that other pegasus friend of yours? Fluttershy? I've heard she's got some medical knowledge too."

"With animals, yeah..." But Twilight knew she had already lost, her friend cared about her way too much to not place her at a pony capable of emergency aid.

"But of course you can stay! Come in, make yourself comfortable, and if you get bored, you can always help me with the animals... if you feel like it."

"Settled then. See you tomorrow for renewing the bandages!" Midnight said, setting off back towards Ponyville.

Despite her annoyance at being essentially disabled for yet longer, Twilight spent a nice day at Fluttershy's cottage. Mostly because she could finally use her magic again without messing up completely.

"And you're really sure you don't want to stay for the night?"

"Sorry, no. But I'll be right back tomorrow."

Twilight had already half finished the teleportation spell bringing her back to her library when the pegasus suddenly interrupted her. Magic did not like being conjured without finishing, so she nearly flew off the couch.

"Oh, um, sorry, I just remembered, I'll have relatives over the next two days. I think you'd be better off with another pony."

"That's okay. I'll just... Pinkie Pie. Exactly, I'll help her. See you in three days, then."

The next day, Twilight headed to Sugarcube Corner after having new bandages applied.

"Oh hey Twilight! What's with that super seriousity bandage stuff? Don't you tell me you broke your hoof broken and can't walk FOREEVEEER?" The pink pony's mood visibly dropped.

"I..."

"Oh, you should see that look on your face. Midnight there filled me in on everything. I'm sure we'll have much fun together today again! Oh! Do you want a private Get Well-party?"

"I'd appreciate it if not, but thanks for the offer."

"Not now, huh? Oooh, I get it, dancing's no fun if you can't step on that one foot of yours. We'll do it when it's healed, alright?"

Twilight chuckled and headed inside, carefully balanced out to put as little of her weight on the injured hoof as possible.

The Cakes were not at home, so Pinkie regularly bounced from the kitchen to the counter to serve the occasional customer. Twilight was lying on a big pillow in the kitchen, making time pass by talking to Pinkie and helping the same pony with telekinesis.

She considered telling her about the thing with Midnight, but decided that there were better ways to keep it a secret between friends than telling the pink mare.

She did hint things however, both sub- and consciously. Keeping things just out of reach for Pinkie's mind was almost as amusing as spending the day under her watch. Twilight's mood dropped rapidly when a particular customer placed a special order.

"Twenty dozen muffins? By tomorrow evening?"

"Looks like there's a pretty big family reunion coming up for Ditzy. So we'd getter get baking!"

When it was time for Twilight to go back home to rest, Pinkie approached her with an unsure walk.

"Oh, let me guess. We've made so little progress today that you have to work all day tomorrow and don't have time for my occasional needs?" Twilight had to admit that, while she was helping the earth pony a great deal with her magic, she wasn't entirely healthy yet and sometimes needed a little attention, unable to walk herself.

"Did you grow a Twilight Sense? Oh, that'd be sooo awesome! What combination told you?"

"With the bad luck I had to live with recently, I figured something like that had to happen." Twilight sighed. But there was the voice of a small pegasus in the edge of her mind, unable to be tracked close enough to burn it out of her brain safely.

Liar.

Glimmer did not speak much, but she annoyed Twilight the more.

Why would you leave such a gift to rot?

Twilight knew now what the pegasus stood for. It was not her future love, but a vessel for the glimpses of the future Twilight couldn't escape.

As of recently, she had also promoted herself to Twilight's conscience. But as much as her host hated to listen to her(self?), Twilight had to admit that there was a use in knowing the future.

She had seen a moment of the next day, too quick to analyse, but there was one message Twilight took from it. She was not at Sugarcube Corner that day.

As harmless as the visions were for the moment, Twilight had a feeling she might see something terrible and make it happen trying to prevent it. Like in those books she gave up reading long ago.

Since she didn't have a way to differentiate the two from each other, Twilight was especially afraid of mistaking a figment of her imagination for a real vision. She made a mental note to ask Celestia about this.

Why don't you just tell your mental secretary? I can remember anything, and if I don't, you won't notice!

Twilight hated her. Not only did Glimmer live in her mind without ever asking, but she also had to make terrible jokes.

Asking old Celly about how to remove an imaginary friend is not nice!

The response to her most recent letter came while Twilight was relaxing at Rarity's, sent using a very well known dragon's flame. The designer had fortunately finished her order early and thus could help Twilight if anything would happen.

She wasn't Twilight's first choice, but her only at the moment.

"My faithful student Twilight Sparkle,

Your talents never cease to amaze me. Clairvoyance is a gift so rare it was thought to be extinct hundreds of years ago.

Do not be afraid to use it, as only that way you will be able to control and recognise it.

I bet it has already manifested in your mind. What form has it taken?

As much as you probably dislike your new advisor already, you must listen to him or her. That's only a part of your mind and would never want to do you any bad.

Over time, you'll grow to know and like this ability.

PS: Luna asked me to remind you that a pony, especially of your condition, should use her night for rest and nothing else.

Princess Celestia"

Twilight had with no word mentioned her current streak of bad luck to Celestia, but she should have expected her mentor to know.

Do you think she knows about you and that cute little nurse, too?

"Shut up." Twilight murmured those words involuntarily, making Rarity's head come up from the design she had been bent over.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just... thinking about that letter from the Princess."

"Ah, don't worry about that. By the way, you didn't really go out dressed like THAT, did you?"

At least Twilight now had designer clothing for when she was sick and had to stay at home.

You can't blame friends for doing what they love and master, even if you actively asked them not to, now can you?

"Don't advisors normally talk when asked?" Twilight whispered to herself, alone at home.

But you never do, sweet. That's why you must sometimes help yourself.

Was that pegasus really Twilight's way of taking faint notions of the future? Was it really a part of her? If so, was she sometimes so cynical herself?

Don't worry. You hide it well under a barrier of studying and friendship and all that.

"If you're a part of my mind, how come you know stuff that I don't and behave so... differently?"

Ok. Explanation time. See, reading that story back then has uncovered a talent you never knew you had. Me. Or, more accurately, you're an antenna now, constantly receiving images and thoughts from what will happen.

"And you are supposed to tell me what's relevant so I can remember what's real yet?"

Right. You read those old books from your ancestors, didn't you. And the personality... well, that is who you really are. For some reason, you started to repress any anger or distrust you ever felt in your childhood. Do you want me to help you remember why?

Glimmer didn't have to. Twilight darkly remembered something with a close relative of her trusting nopony and starting an outright revolution against Celestia. That revolution was quickly repressed, for the better of all. She had resisted arrest.

Yes. That must have impressed you so much, you wanted to prevent becoming like that at all cost. But deep in your heart, you know I am you.

"So... You've mentioned that one night. Whose grave was it? When will it be?"

You know as much as I do. It's none of your close friends... even including that nurse. As far as we know.

"Could you stop calling her 'that nurse'? I know I hate doctors, but I love Midnight!"

Don't we both?

"Ngh. My head hurts enough already, I don't need you to make it worse."

Indeed. You should rest now, I can't keep up my work if we're sleep-deprived.

At least Glimmer couldn't appear in Twilight's dreams anymore. The unicorn only dreamt of her object of biggest desire, which was a place Midnight had taken over.